I actually find it slightly depressing how many people here don't find it offensive, and are comfortable with it. Maybe it's a US vs. UK thing?
Many people in the sixties said 'coon' or 'spade,' and many people in the seventies said 'paki' or 'poof;' and you could argue that those words weren't directly offensive insults, but - to me - there is still some undercurrent of the different and qualities of 'I'm superior and this is my mocking little word for those different to me.'
I don't know. Everybody has their own opinions, of course, but were I running a service and somebody reported that to me, I would have done the same thing.
You don't get to impose words that trigger you without historical contortions on the rest of us. Please understand that. Comparison 'retard' to hate crime and racism is just obnoxiously weak and reeks of modern privilege.
I'm based in the UK, and was assuming - perhaps incorrectly - that many of the commenters that weren't bothered by the word 'retard' were based in the US, where I believe that word has less of a stigma.
I honestly don't understand your comment regarding historical contortions, I'm afraid. However, I'll stand by the argument that the word 'retard' is used as an insulting term for a section of society - at least here in the UK - and, from that point-of-view, does echo words used in a racist context, or the context of hate crime (while acknowledging that using the word is clearly not a crime in itself).
Many people in the sixties said 'coon' or 'spade,' and many people in the seventies said 'paki' or 'poof;' and you could argue that those words weren't directly offensive insults, but - to me - there is still some undercurrent of the different and qualities of 'I'm superior and this is my mocking little word for those different to me.'
I don't know. Everybody has their own opinions, of course, but were I running a service and somebody reported that to me, I would have done the same thing.